Ceremonial delivery of the last canes marks official launch of Crop Over

The evening’s festivities began with a rhythmic procession filled with groups from the Barbados Landship, steel panners, dancers and more, making their way from the Rock Hall Freedom Village to the Portvale Sugar Factory, where Barbadians were treated to traditional blessing of the canes, which signals the start of the summer festival.

The Sons of God Apostolic Church members once again opened the annual ceremony by blessing the canes and the season, and asked Barbadians to give thanks for keeping safe during the last few years of the COVID pandemic, which were filled with much uncertainty.

During her brief remarks Prime Minister Mia Mottley called on Barbadians to fully embrace the season, not just with its revelry and party experiences, but to also use it as the time to take care of their fellow citizens.

“Today is a day to give thanks and for us to be able to recognize that the next four to six weeks, we need to go about and enjoy ourselves, be careful but be safe, and do what you can to take care of the others around you,” Mottley said.

“I say that not only because of COVID, but because we need everybody to look out for each other in these times … when Crop Over came, the sufferation that our ancestors faced, was far greater than anything we faced today, but they got through it … they agreed that they would come together and enjoy the effort and the discipline that they put in before.” (SB)